EP1041300A1

EP1041300A1 - Self-threading screw for metal with six formers of prismatic shape

Info

Publication number: EP1041300A1
Application number: EP00106615A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlo Sala
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-04-02
Filing date: 2000-03-28
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-28
Also published as: DE60035633D1; ES2291153T3; ITMI990967A1; EP1041300B1; IT1313335B1; US6478520B1; DE60035633T2

Abstract

Described herein is a self-threading screw, designed to be inserted in a hole of appropriate size made in a sheet of metal (or other metallic body), which has at the free end of its shank (1) six projections (2) ("formers" or "shapers") of prismatic shape designed to thread by rolling the wall of the hole in which the screw itself is inserted.

Description

Scope of the invention

The invention is represented by a self-threading screw, designed to be inserted in a hole of appropriate size made in a sheet of metal (or other metallic body), which has at the free end of its shank six projections ("formers" or "shapers") of prismatic shape designed to thread by rolling the wall of the hole in which the screw itself is inserted.

Prior art

Self-threading screws (i.e., screws designed to make on the wall of the hole in which they are inserted a thread having a profile complementary to that of the thread present on the shank of the screw) have been known for a long time, are widespread on the market and widely used in technical applications to join together metal sheets or pieces made of a metallic material.
With traditional self-threading screws the operation of inserting the screw in the corresponding hole is somewhat troublesome because it is necessary to force the thread of the screw into the wall of the hole to make the required thread; in addition, these screws are not suitable for being used either as adjusting screws or for precision fits, or as means of reversible joining because screwing and rescrewing the screw generally causes a rapid stripping of the thread of the hole.
To overcome such drawbacks, various types of self-threading screws have been proposed, which differ from one another according to shape and mode of operation: just to provide a non-limiting example, self-tapping screws are cited (characterized by the presence of longitudinal grooves for discharging the material removed) and screws with three-lobed section and rounded tips.
In particular, self-threading screws have been proposed the shank of which presents, at the free end, at least one former of prismatic shape designed to roll the material making up the body to be threaded, so obtaining along the wall of the hole (without any need for further machining) a very resistant complete thread, the turns of which have the fibres intact and slightly hardened by the compression generated by their forming.
In addition, the at least one former of prismatic shape reduces the friction between the thread of the screw and the wall of the hole to be threaded, consequently reducing the effort required for inserting and screwing the screw in the hole; the rolled material, by its relaxation around the screw, increases the coefficient of back-off friction and makes an external thread-internal thread fit that is (rather) precise because the internal thread assumes the profile and the dimensions of the screw.
Available on the market are self-threading screws which have four formers of prismatic shape, which have proved able to satisfy a fair share of the technical needs of the market; the use of these screws has proved particularly advantageous for assembling items made of thin sheet metal or other metallic material by means of manual, automatic or semi-automatic systems with high production rates.
Studies and experimental tests conducted by the Applicant have surprisingly made it possible to note that:

the performance (already good) obtained using the above-mentioned known self-threading screws are further improved by increasing the number of formers of prismatic shape present at the free end of the shank of the screw from four to six;
a further increase in the number of the formers does not further improve the performance obtainable using these self-threading screws but, on the contrary, entails non-negligible constructional and functional problems, due in the first place to the difficulty of locating eight (or more) formers along the external circumference of the free end of the shank of the screw.

Summary of the invention

The subject of the present invention is a self-threading screw for metal comprising six formers of prismatic shape set at regular intervals along the external circumference of the free end of the shank of the screw.
Preferably but not necessarily, the formers have an elongated shape, are parallel to the axis of symmetry of the shank of the screw and are made on the last few turns (from three to five, preferably three) of the thread made on the shank of the screw, adjacent to the free end of the shank.

List of figures

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to a preferred example of embodiment, of a non-limiting nature, illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the end of the shank of a self-threading screw made according to the invention; and
Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the screw of Figure 1, with the aim of better highlighting the six formers.

In the attached figures, corresponding elements will be identified by the same reference numbers.

Detailed description of the invention

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic front view of the end of the shank 1 of a self-threading screw for metal, made according to the invention, which comprises six formers 2 of prismatic shape (two of which are not shown in Figure 1 because they are hidden by the shank 1) set at regular intervals along the external circumference of the free end 3 of the shank 1: the formers 2 have an elongated shape, are parallel to the axis of symmetry of the shank 1 of the screw and are made (preferably but not necessarily by stamping) on the last few turns of the thread 4, adjacent to the free end 3 of the shank 1.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the formers 2 are made on the last three turns of the thread 4 adjacent to the free end 3 of the shank 1 but, without departing from the scope of the invention, the formers 2 may be made on the last three-to-five turns of the thread 4 adjacent to the free end 3 of the shank 1.
The six formers 2 are seen more clearly in the side view of Figure 2, where just one former is identified by the reference number "2" for reasons of simplicity of graphical representation.
In a preferred embodiment, an ideal segment traced in Figure 2 between the vertices of two adjacent formers 2 is not tangent to the free end 3 of the shank 1: this fact reduces the friction between the external screw and the internal screw at the moment of the formation of the internal screw itself.
In the example of embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the end of the shank 1 has a slightly tapered shape to form a "lead-in" which facilitates entrance of the screw into the corresponding hole: starting from the free end 3 of the shank 1, the last three turns of the thread 4 present a progressively increasing diameter and a less rounded profile, whilst the three areas of prismatic shape which constitute each of the formers 2 have an increasing width, as may readily be noted from Figure 2.
According to a further possible embodiment of the invention, not illustrated in the attached figures for reasons of simplicity of graphical representation, the six formers 2 of prismatic shape are set at regular intervals exclusively along the external circumference of the free end 3 of the shank 1, without involving the last turns of the thread 4 made on the shank 1, adjacent to the free end 3 of the shank 1.
The improvements in the performance of a screw according to the invention, which comprises six formers of prismatic shape, if compared to the performance of a screw comprising four formers of prismatic shape will emerge clearly from the comparative test described in the following example.

Example 1

Two series of tests were carried out to measure the threading load using screws of the type M6, thread ISO 5542-65, SN slotted cheese-headed screw, comprising four formers of prismatic shape and six formers of prismatic shape.
The tests were conducted according to the UNI 7323.6 Standards - March 1994, by inserting ten screws with four formers and ten screws with six formers in holes having a diameter of 5.5 mm made using a helical drill bit in an extra-mild steel plate (hardness: HRB:70-85, HB: 125-165) having a thickness of 6 mm.
The values found are shown in the following table:

Test No. four form. (N*cm) six form. (N*cm)

1 600 300

2 580 310

3 560 280

4 600 270

5 610 280

6 590 300

7 570 300

8 600 310

9 550 300

10 590 300
From the above-mentioned table it may be noted that, for a screw with six formers, the mean threading load is approximately 295 N^*cm whilst the mean threading load for the corresponding screw with four formers is approximately 585 N*cm.
Consequently, for a screw with six formers the mean threading load is:

approximately half of that for a screw with four formers;
approximately 35% - 37% of the tightening load indicated in the UNI Standards (800 - 840 N*cm), whilst for a screw with four formers this ratio rises to approximately 70% - 73%;

For a screw with six formers the threading operation is therefore so easy as to be very advantageous both in the case of manual assembly (the risk of the operator suffering from tendinitis and/or strain to the upper limbs is reduced) and in the case of assembly by means of an automatic machine (the consumption of the tools for screwing is reduced).
It has moreover been found that the tearing (or stripping) load of a screw with six formers exceeds by approximately 20% that of the corresponding screw with four formers.
Again without departing from the scope of the invention it is possible for a person skilled in the branch to make to the self-threading screw for metal with six formers of prismatic shape which forms the subject of the present description all the modifications and improvements suggested by normal experience and by the natural evolution of techniques.

Claims

Self-threading screw for metal, characterized in that it comprises six projections (2) of prismatic shape set at regular intervals along the external circumference of the free end (3) of the shank (1) of the screw.
Self-threading screw as per Claim 1, characterized in that the six projections (2) have an elongated shape, are parallel to the axis of symmetry of the shank (1) of the screw and are made on the last few turns of the thread (4) made on the shank (1), adjacent to the free end (3) of the shank (1).
Self-threading screw as per Claim 2, characterized in that the six projections (2) are made on the last three-to-five turns of the thread (4) made on the shank (1), adjacent to the free end (3) of the shank (1).
Self-threading screw as per Claim 3, characterized in that the six projections (2) are made on the last three turns of the thread (4) made on the shank (1), adjacent to the free end (3) of the shank (1).
Self-threading screw as per Claim 1, characterized in that an ideal segment traced between the vertices of two adjacent projections (2) is not tangent to the free end (3) of the shank (1).